Luana's eyebrows instantly furrowed, and she blurted out, "Mr. Ortega, I've already submitted my resignation application and am here to handle the handover. Could someone else take care of arranging the dinner?"
As soon as she finished speaking, the three people sitting on the sofa looked up and turned their gazes towards her.
Luana inadvertently met Cline's deep eyes, and her heart skipped a beat.
She feigned composure, quickly averting her gaze to Dawn.
Nearly fifty, Dawn exuded an aura of authority that commanded respect, yet Luana had never been intimidated by him.
Others might avoid his gaze, but she could look him straight in the eye, as if he were a relative who gave her a sense of fearlessness.
Dawn's dignified expression darkened as Luana scrutinized him so boldly.
He felt that Luana, who bore a resemblance to his daughter Runa, had been treated with more leniency by him than others.
Did she think that because he was m
Just as Luana finished booking the restaurant on her phone and hadn't even had a chance to catch her breath, Dawn's call came through."Luana, send the restaurant address to Mr. Moriarty as well," Dawn instructed, as usual, hanging up without giving Luana a chance to respond.With a solemn expression, Luana put down the phone, unlocked her screen, and sent the address to the assistant responsible for Cline's itinerary.However, she soon received a reply, "Miss Hammond, I'm temporarily unable to reach Mr. Moriarty. Please send the address directly to his phone. You should have his number."Seeing this message, Luana felt a sense of helplessness and gritted her teeth, pulling Cline's WhatsApp account out of her blacklist.She quickly forwarded the restaurant address and then blocked him again.After handling this matter, Luana grabbed the keys and headed to the company's parking lot.As she stepped out of the elevator, she saw the priva
As he approached, the face framed by the gold-rimmed glasses came into clearer view, the former naivety now entirely replaced by a clean, sharp, and mature aura.Time had passed, and upon seeing him again, Luana's heart was as calm as still water, undisturbed by any waves.She raised her hand out of politeness and waved in their direction, saying, "Welcome."The man, amidst the crowd, immediately noticed her waving and paused.His trip to Los Angeles with his team was primarily for the western land bidding.He had not intended for the Ortega family to be aware of his itinerary, but they insisted on sending someone to receive him and arranged a dinner.Unable to refuse their hospitality, he reluctantly agreed, never expecting that the person sent to pick him up would be Luana.After a few seconds of surprise, he composed himself, regained his usual composure, and led his entourage towards Luana.Standing at nearly six feet five
The slap was delivered with such force that her face instantly swelled, becoming almost twice its original size.Disbelief filled her eyes as she stared at the man before her, dressed in a suit but so unfamiliar to her."Why..." she muttered, unable to comprehend why the boy who once cherished her had turned into someone who only wanted to torment her to death after becoming a Coburn.Was it because she didn't believe in his amnesia and kept seeking him out, irritating him, or because in his eyes, once he rose to prominence, he could discard his past lover at will?"Why?"He murmured to himself, his once clean and handsome face contorting into a sinister expression filled with hatred."You dare to ask me why? I lay unconscious in the hospital, and you were cavorting with another man!" he accused."You've fallen so far and still think I would continue to be with you. Isn't that a pipe dream?"See, he hadn't lost his memory at al
Luana brushed away the jumbled thoughts and looked up at Mr. Coburn with a steely gaze."Mr. Coburn, I'm all about keeping things professional with our partners. No favorites, no grudges.""As for what happened five years back, that's ancient history. No use holding onto it."Whether he'd genuinely lost his memory or was play-acting not to know her was moot.The past had been washed away by the unforgiving tide of time, leaving no trace behind.Neither she nor he should dredge up those old stories again.After Luana finished speaking, she resumed her stride towards the underground parking lot.Watching her petite and frail figure, Calvert had a fleeting sense that Luana had become someone else entirely.The girl who once knelt at the Coburns' doorstep, sobbing her heart out, begging for a meeting, seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth.Now, she seemed to have undergone a complete transformation, shedding her
Luana needed to get to the restroom, but the dizziness was so intense she couldn't move.She could only hold onto the door frame and sit back down.Thankfully, the vertigo came and went quickly, and before long, she started to feel better.Just as she was about to get up and head to the restroom again, she caught sight of Cline standing by the elevator.He was dressed in a well-tailored, custom-fit navy suit, standing tall and straight like a pine tree, his figure long and elegant.The warm light gently bathed him, casting a faint halo around him, making him look even more noble and aloof, exuding a unique, ascetic charm.His face was hidden in the dim light, his deep features as sculpted as ever, his deep-set eyes like the cold stars twinkling in the night sky, revealing an imposing aura.It seemed he had been standing there for a while.The moment Luana saw him, her heart tightened, rippling with a hint of nervousness.
Calvert noticed Cline sizing him up and, out of politeness, quickly raised his glass to toast with Cline.Although Cline responded, his demeanor was arrogant and disdainful.Seeing this, Calvert didn't say much.He had heard about Cline's temperament.This man was known for his cold and aloof nature, never giving any face to those he disliked.The fact that he responded in this setting meant he at least had some respect for Calvert.However, much of it was probably due to Runa's influence.Runa was skilled at lightening the mood, and with just a few words, she helped everyone become more familiar with each other.She then purposefully guided the conversation from everyday life to work matters, project collaborations, and bidding issues.She even brought up the recent actions of Coburn Group against the Ortega family.Throughout the entire process, only Cline remained mostly silent, his deep and sinister eyes occas
As Cline and Runa passed by her, Runa suddenly stopped in her tracks.She turned around and instructed Luana, "Luana, take Mr. Coburn back to the hotel."Luana forcibly pulled herself back to reality from her chaotic thoughts, nodded, and replied, "Okay."Runa then smiled contentedly, linked her arm with Cline's, and headed towards the elevator.Once they had their backs turned, Luana dared to lift her head and observe their departing figures.Cline and Runa together seemed like a perfect match, so compatible and harmonious.She herself, however, was just a passerby who had stumbled into their world, like a fleeting trace of a goose's flight, destined to vanish without a trace.Luana curled her lips into a wry smile, thinking to herself that this pain was nothing.As long as she had time to forget, she would surely let go of Cline just as she had forgotten Albion.Luana turned around and looked at Calvert and the others
Gath suffered from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder, needing to sleep at a fixed time every day, not even a minute and a half late.But at that moment, he was just too curious about who Calvert wanted him to save.So he gritted his teeth, broke the rules he had adhered to for years, got up, grabbed his car keys, and hurriedly went out.While Gath was still on his way, Calvert had already started giving Luana oxygen.Although the oxygen tank was small, it was enough to alleviate Luana's current emergency situation for the time being.After Luana started breathing the oxygen, the feeling of suffocation and pain in her heart gradually eased, no longer as unbearable as before.As the oxygen slowly entered her body, her consciousness also gradually recovered.When she slowly opened her eyes and saw Calvert standing by the bed with a furrowed brow, she was slightly stunned.It turned out that the person who just saved her was Cal
Clarissa, who had been crying her heart out, also sensed that Luana was barely holding on, waiting for Cline.She remembered Luana mentioning that Cline's private phone was never turned off and quickly said to Eva, "Luana's phone has his private number. Could someone please get her phone? It's in the paper bag on the bedside table in the ward..."The young nurse guarding the door heard this and immediately turned around and ran into the ward, quickly returning with Luana's phone.Eva took the phone, swiped the unlock button while asking Clarissa, "What's the password?"Clarissa knew the password and quickly told Eva.The phone unlocked swiftly, and Eva quickly scrolled to Cline's number.She noticed that he had been blocked by Luana and immediately removed him from the blacklist, dialing quickly.The phone no longer prompted that it was turned off. It connected...Eva was anxious, muttering under her breath, "Cline, please answ
In her dream, she saw a woman standing in the sunlight, reaching out her hand as if to say, "Luana, Mommy's here to take you."She thought it might be her mother, the same one who had left her in the sunlight with such reluctance and helplessness...Or perhaps it wasn't her mother at all. Maybe it was just her deep longing for a mother that conjured up this image in her dream.After all, she had never experienced the love of a mother or a father in her life.She had come into this world alone and was destined to leave it the same way, which was, in the end, a bit regrettable...Seeing her bitter smile, Calvert felt as if a thorn had pierced his heart, causing him pain all over.This pain made him involuntarily lean down and hold her tightly, not daring to let go for a moment...Luana weakly patted his back, "Albion, don't be sad..."Calvert, like a child, buried his head in the crook of her neck, cold tears silently dripping on
Calvert sat by the bedside, motionless, staring at her pale face.Only after she had completely fallen asleep did he take out his phone and call Gath.Gath, who was at that moment talking with Eva in the dean's office, was taken aback for a moment upon seeing Calvert's call.After Calvert had last messaged him for an explanation, he had been ignored, so this initiative to contact him now made Gath somewhat pleased.He immediately released Eva, swiped the unlock button on his phone, and answered the call, "Hello, Calvert, what can I do for you?"Calvert's voice was deep as he asked, "Can you treat heart failure?"Upon hearing this, Gath knew exactly who he was referring to. "Is there a suitable heart donor available?"A wave of helplessness surged through Calvert, and he unclenched his tightly held fists. "No..."Gath pondered for a moment before responding earnestly, "Calvert, without a suitable donor, even God couldn't save he
Clarissa, recalling Luana's plea not to blame Calvert, said nothing more and simply stepped around him to get some water, ignoring him completely.Calvert stood at the ward door, gazing at the frail and weak figure on the hospital bed, his vision gradually blurring with tears.He struggled to steady his trembling body, clenched his fists tightly, and with heavy steps, he walked slowly to the bedside.Blind Luana sensed someone approaching and thought Clarissa had returned, so she reached out to grab her clothes."Clarissa..."Before her hand could make contact, it was grasped by a broad and slender hand.The hand that held hers trembled slightly, as if it had a thousand words to say but couldn't utter a single one, so it just held on tightly.Luana realized it was a man's hand and thought of Cline's stern and handsome face, but she didn't think it could be him.She tentatively called out, "Albion..."Calvert hadn't expec
Tears rolled down Clarissa's cheeks, dripping onto Luana's hand and making her body stiffen.Luana tried to raise her other hand to wipe Clarissa's tears, but after feeling around for a while without success, her wrist was grabbed by Clarissa instead."Luana, are you... blind now?"Clarissa held Luana's hand, her face full of shock as she stared intently into Luana's eyes.This time, Luana didn't hide it from Clarissa and nodded calmly, "Probably triggered some other conditions..."She had experienced blurred vision during her dizziness before, but she hadn't expected to wake up completely blind this time.Seeing her like this, Clarissa broke down and cried again.She threw herself onto the hospital bed, hugged Luana tightly, and wept her heart out.Luana no longer tried to console her not to cry. Instead, she reached out to hug her back, gently patting her back and whispering, "I'm okay..."If she couldn't see, then so
After returning to the hospital, Clarissa encountered Albert at the triage desk on the first floor, where he was handling discharge procedures.Seeing her, he was somewhat surprised and asked why she had come. Clarissa pursed her lips and didn't respond.Albert, feeling uneasy under her penetrating gaze, which seemed to see through him, instinctively averted his eyes."Honey..." he called out tentatively, then asked guiltily, "The doctor said Angela's pregnancy is unstable, and it would be best for her to stay near the hospital until the baby is born. Since our place is close to the hospital, how about she stays with us for a while?""With a pregnancy so unstable, it's no wonder she's acting out," Clarissa thought, resisting the urge to retort.She had a flaw—having grown up without much love, she was easily swayed by affection.But she also had a strength—she could quickly dismiss anyone or anything that betrayed her.She
Luana had long been aware of her physical condition, so she wasn't particularly concerned. She asked, "How much... longer do I have?"Eva, with her hands in the pockets of her white coat, looked down at Luana's pale face and said seriously, "About a week."If she hadn't sustained such severe injuries, with the help of special medications, she might have been able to hold on for another two months.But the nail piercing the back of her head had accelerated her heart failure. The fact that she could still last a week was nothing short of a medical miracle.Eva couldn't help but shudder as she recalled the scene of the nail piercing the back of Luana's head."Luana, who on earth nailed the back of your head?"Cline had only messaged her that Sidney, Runa, and he had attacked Luana, urging her to come and save her.He hadn't mentioned who had caused the injuries.Eva suspected it might have been a group attack, but she couldn't bel
After shouting, Clarissa covered her face and cried almost hysterically.Luana, seeing her like this, couldn't help but feel her eyes well up with tears.She mustered all her strength to reach out and pull at Clarissa's clothes.But Clarissa, unable to accept the reality, kept backing away...She cried and ran out of the ward in a state of collapse.Watching Clarissa's retreating figure, the tears that Luana had been holding back began to fall drop by drop.Clarissa ran out of the VIP ward in one breath and unconsciously stopped in front of the door of an ordinary ward.She wanted to ask Albert for help. Although she wasn't sure what kind of help he could provide, she desperately needed someone to lean on at the moment.She walked to the ward door, crying, but instead of seeing the Albert siblings, she heard a series of embarrassing noises coming from the adjacent single room...Instinctively, she wanted to avoid them, b
After speaking, Eva gave Clarissa a gentle smile, which temporarily relieved Clarissa of her worries and shifted her focus to Luana.Seeing Luana sweating from pain in her coma, Clarissa felt heartbroken and quickly took out a towel to wipe her sweat.After finishing, she turned to Eva and asked nervously, "Dr. Woodward, is Luana's heart okay?"Luana had congenital heart disease and had to be very careful in her daily life.Being beaten into a coma could have caused damage to her heart, just like how she had become weaker after being kicked before. Clarissa was very worried about this.Eva glanced at Clarissa, unsure of how to respond.As a doctor, she should tell the patient's family about such a life-or-death issue.But without the patient's consent, she didn't feel right making the decision.Moreover, seeing Clarissa's worried face, she was afraid that Clarissa wouldn't be able to handle it.After thinking for a while